


Moonlight

by sunnywithclouds



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Animagus, Forbidden Forest, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, Impossible Friendships, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Potions, Slytherin, Werewolf Remus Lupin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-23 04:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20885783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnywithclouds/pseuds/sunnywithclouds
Summary: *This work will probably not receive an updateThis was just supposed to be a one shot for Fictober but Sirius and Severus had more to say to each other.What would happen if Sirius and Severus ever met one on one?  Would sparks fly?  Maybe one kind would...Chapter Summary- Being out at night during a full moon is rarely a good idea.  But Snape is on a mission...  Unfortunately it seems that Sirius is, too.  What happens when they find out they actually have a common goal?--Along with Inktober, it is Fictober! Following a prompt list from Tumblr I'm going to write short fics based around those prompts. A friend doing the same is titling each fic with the prompt so I'm totally copying that.  ;)





	1. Chapter 1

"What are you doing out here, Snivellus?"

The smaller boy flinched at the voice behind him, knowing exactly who that smirky, rich timbre belonged to. Trying not to give away the speed of his heart and the fight or flight instinct that was warring inside of him, he turned around slowly to face Sirius Black.

"I could ask you the same question." He said calmly and quietly, leaning his back against the tree he had been peering around, his eyes narrowing as they rested on Sirius' face.

"None of your business." Sirius said with a frown.

"Then same. None of your business." Snape smiled, a particularly poisonous smile as he could see even in the clear bright moonlight that Sirius, though full of bravado, was uncomfortable.

"Fine." The larger boy, spoke the one word, turning and walking along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, trying to appear nonchalant as he went, looking into the trees every few moments.

"Lose something?" Snape asked casually, moving along behind Sirius, keeping a few paces behind him.

"No. Bugger off, Snape." Sirius shot a nasty look over his shoulder at the smaller boy, walking faster along the edge of the trees.

Snape paused in his steps for a moment, then quirked one side of his mouth up in a faint smile. "Since when do you actually call me Snape?"

"Since you're bothering me and I want you to go away?" Sirius was getting a little antsy then, stepping past the treeline and into the forest itself.

"What are you doing!?" Snape closed the distance between them, grabbing for Sirius' arm and trying to pull him back. "Are you completely mad?" He hissed the words, grappling with Sirius' arm with both of his hands, pulling hard to try and drag the other boy back to the open.

"Bugger OFF, Snape! What do you think, that the moment you step FOOT past the trees some internal alarm goes off to everything inside of it?" He shook at the grip the other boy had on him, trying to free his arm.

"That is, actually, EXACTLY what I think, and EXACTLY what happens." Snape, yanked harder but one hard wrench freed Sirius' arm from his grip. "You must be mental."

"No YOU must be mental." Sirius said, straightening the cloak he had on, moving further into the trees. "It's just a forest."

Snape scoffed, hanging back as Sirius moved in further, half of him wanting to run back to the open where it was safer but the other half not wanting Sirius to go off alone in the woods when he was clearly so underprepared.

He could still see him, the full moon shone bright even in the dense trees, turning everything silvery and unreal. The Forbidden Forest was deadly at the best of times, but everything got even worse during the full moon.

"Sirius, wait!' He called, fighting his inner voice that screamed at him that it was Sirius' business if he wanted to go get himself killed. He jogged through the trees to catch up with him. "Please go back. Whatever you're doing can't be that important."

"You have no idea." Sirius said, looking down to Snape's face, huffing a breath of air that fluttered his long bangs out of his eyes before he looked away and kept walking.

Snape continued walking with him silently for a few moments, peering around as best he could in the surreal silvery black woods. "Is it Remus?" He asked, trying to keep his voice casual, but that alone was enough to alert the other boy who stopped dead in his tracks and wheeled around to glare at him. 

"What do you mean, is it Remus?" He spat the words out angrily, his eyes practically boring holes into Snape's skull with the intensity of his gaze.

"It's a full moon." Snape said, then cowered in reflex as Sirius took two large steps abruptly and closed the space between them. He held his arms up to shield any potential blows that came from the larger boy. "Don't! I'm not telling anyone about it!"

"How do you KNOW?" Sirius asked, his voice far more calm than Snape expected, almost more curious and not really accusatory.

"I'm not stupid, I figured it out." Snape lowered one arm to look up at Sirius, then the other, then he stood up again instead of cowering against the forest floor. "I was looking for him too. I wanted to catch him before the transformation."

Sirius loomed up again, his shoulders squared as he looked accusingly at Snape. "Why? So you could catch him at it and tell the whole school? Get him kicked out?"

"No! No..." Snape waved his hands a bit, then reached into his cloak, pulling out a large stoppered vial. He held it out, wishing that his hands weren't slightly trembling at the intensity of the other boy. "I made him this. It's supposed to make it easier... So he can think straight when he..."

Snape trailed off as Sirius plucked the vial from his palm and looked at it carefully. "This is Wolfsbane Potion." He said, his brow furrowing as he tipped the vial back and forth to look at the liquid inside. "Right? I've only seen drawings of it and written descriptions in the books we've read."

"Yes." Snape nodded, watching Sirius carefully. "I was reading one of the advanced potions books and it was in there. Handwritten on the page and it just said it was to keep a human mind in the wolf."

"He'd have to take it for the full week before the full moon for it to work right." Sirius said, still holding the potion but looking at Snape with interest. "You made this?"

Snape nodded again, feeling a little crestfallen that what he'd made wouldn't have been of any use anyways. "It didn't say anything about him having to take it in advance."

"But you MADE this. You did. For him?" Sirius raised both eyebrows, something in him softening slightly. 

"Well. Yes. I can't imagine it's fun what he goes through. He looks dreadful after the full moon and he has so many scars already." 

He rubbed one hand against his opposite arm, looking down at the forest floor. Which made him completely unprepared to be seized by Sirius in a strong hug, enough to squeeze the air out of him and make his head spin.

"None of us could do it. None of us. And Remus wouldn't ever ever ever agree to drink anything so complicated that we made for him anyways. But YOU can make it." Sirius squeezed the smaller boy tighter, then released him, looking slight apologetic as Snape coughed and wheezed once released. "Sorry.."

Snape waved a hand in dismissal to the apology, straightening up after a moment and pushing his hair out of his eyes. "It's fine, you just surprised me."

"Would you make it again? We could get you the ingredients, I know it's not easy to come by the stuff you'd need and in the amount you'd probably need it."

Again Snape waved his hand a bit. "I can make it again and I have... sources for ingredients. No one would think twice about me having them. If you ever got caught with it all..."

Sirius couldn't help but smirk a bit, looking at the vial in his hands. "One of the perks of Slytherin maybe."

"Partially. Mostly just because I spend the better part of my free time in the potions classroom anyways. Trying new things... Professor Slughorn doesn't think twice about it anymore. He thinks I make things and throw them away, that's what a good student would do anyways."

Sirius smiled a little more, tilting his head as he looked at Snape, really looked at him for a few moments. "But you don't?"

"Not when it's something good or really useful. Why waste it?" Snape couldn't help but smile then, seeing the look on Sirius' face turn into an incredulous grin. "What??"

"You're just kind of surprising, that's all." Sirius lifted one shoulder in a small shrug as he looked down at the smaller boy. "You seem like a total boot licker."

"You get away with more if on the surface you seem like a dutiful well behaved student." Snape said, shrugging one shoulder as well. "You behave like a model pupil, no one thinks they have to watch you, you get away with whatever you want."

"Like making totally not for students potions." Sirius said, holding the vial out to Snape again.

"That's a start." Snape replied, then shook his head, pushing Sirius' hand back towards him. "Keep it. It's a start for next month."

Sirius smiled a bit, nodding as he put the potion into his pocket. "Thanks..."

Snape shrugged again, twisting a bit from side to side, making his cloak swish around his legs. "We really shouldn't be in the forest... I know you don't believe me but stepping past the trees really does make a difference."

"But Remus is in here." Sirius said, pausing for a moment then sighing softly. "Although I suppose at this time he does belong here."

"He does... The forest will look after him, he belongs to it right now." Snape said, reaching out and tugging lightly on Sirius' arm. "It's kind of an agreement with the things that live here. Nothing living here can come through the trees, the forest is theirs. But anyone who steps into it is fair game. Please.."

Sirius moved then, much to Snape's relief. They trudged back through the trees and he didn't notice until they were out in the open, in the much brighter moonlight that his hand was still on Sirius' arm. He looked at it, then up to Sirius' face, then away again, his cheeks going red as he slid his hand back down again.

"Happy now?" Sirius asked, a slight teasing tone coming back into his voice, unable to help himself when he saw how embarrassed the smaller boy was just from keeping a hand on his arm for awhile.

Snape nodded, biting his lip without saying anything. "Just stay out of the trees. I don't care if you go back to the castle or not but don't go into the trees. Remus can handle himself in there. You know he can."

Sirius nodded to Snape, and the smaller boy could feel the weight of his eyes on him even as he didn't meet his gaze. He turned without saying anything else to walk back towards the castle.

"Hey, Severus!' 

Snape startled slightly at the use of his actual name, turning to look at Sirius again in surprise. "....Yes?"

"Thanks. For looking out for Remus. And for looking out for me."

Snape smiled a bit, raising one hand in a slight wave, then turned again to keep walking.


	2. Fire (Moonlight Chapter 2/?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once again Sirius and Severus are outside after dark. Another interesting conversation, some personal revelations, and a warm fire are included. :)
> 
> I didn't intend for "Moonlight" to be a chaptered fic, but it turns out that Severus and Sirius have more to say to each other in this AU world so I'll just let them go to it. ;)
> 
> \-----
> 
> \--Along with Inktober, it is Fictober! Following a prompt list from Tumblr I'm going to write short fics based around those prompts. A friend doing the same is titling each fic with the prompt so I'm totally copying that. ;)
> 
> Today's prompt was FIRE!
> 
> \---------

"Incendio."

Sirius startled, both at the word spoken close behind him, and at the sudden rush of fire and heat that erupted and lit the small pile of wood in front of him that he'd been unsuccessfully trying to light the same way.

"What are you doing out here again?" Snape asked, sliding his wand away after lighting the fire for Sirius.

"Nothing. What are YOU doing out here again?" The larger boy asked frowning slightly at Snape. He tipped his head when the other boy held one hand up that was full of what looked like slightly glowing sticks. "What are those?"

"Night Blade. You can only harvest them at night. During the day they're underground." He tucked the sticks into a small bag that was over one shoulder. "I answered you..."

"Well... You have a more legitimate reason for being outside." Sirius muttered the words, scuffing the grass with his foot before he sighed and plunked down on the ground in front of the fire.

"I'll let you get back to your... illegitimate reasons for being outside then." Snape started to walk away but halted when he felt a tug on the bottom of his cloak. "What?"

"Stay. If you don't mind. I wanted to ask you something." 

Snape frowned, looking down at Sirius and really peering into his eyes that were lit by the fire, trying to see any potential malice or like he was walking into a trap. But he saw nothing aside from the hopeful question. And he'd learned from experience that Sirius was less of a threat when he wasn't with James. "Fine.."

They both settled in front of the fire, Snape setting his bag down next to him, looking mostly into the flames but taking a few glances at the larger boy. "What did you want to ask me?"

Sirius stayed quiet a few moments longer, then pushed a hand through his hair as though uncomfortable. "D'you think McGonagall was born able to transform into a cat?"

Snape couldn't help but smile a bit, his nose wrinkling slightly. "Of course not. She's an Animagus, not a Metamorphmagus."

"What's the difference?" Sirius asked, leaning towards Snape a little bit, the answer he got seeming to agree with him. 

"Animagus is learned and you can really only transform into one animal shape. Metamorphmagus is hereditary and you can change whatever you like. Your hair, your height, the colour of your eyes... Why?"

Sirius didn't say anything in response, chewing the side of his bottom lip for awhile. "And you're sure?"

"Positive. McGonagall taught us the difference. You don't remember?" Snape couldn't help but smile when Sirius looked a little sheepish and pushed a hand through his hair again. "Nevermind then... I'm sure. She shows us that she can change for a reason, it's a Transfiguration thing and she teaches it so it's a good practical demonstration."

"I must have missed that part entirely. If I tell you why, do you promise not to laugh?" Sirius leaned a little closer to Snape so he could look him full in the face. "Or tell anyone else?"

"So long as it has absolutely nothing to do with humiliating me, then yes." 

Sirius turned red, enough that it could still be plainly seen in the orange fire glow. "Nothing to do with you. Especially not humiliating you." He muttered the response after a few moments, his eyes had dropped down, unable to meet the other boy's.

"Then I promise." Snape said simply, slightly unnerved at the way Sirius reacted to what he said, but too curious about what was going on to dwell too much about it.

"We, James and Peter and I, thought maybe we could learn to be Animagi. So we could change with Remus. Especially now that he might be able to keep his human mind when he turns. But we can't very well ask McGonagall about it, she'd just LOOK at us.. You know how she does.."

Snape couldn't help but laugh a bit, immediately waving his hand. "Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing about McGonagall and the look. I know exactly what you mean. She just stares at you and somehow clearly communicates that she wants to forget you even asked the question to start with."

"Exactly!" Sirius laughed with Snape, rubbing his forehead a bit. "So we can't ask her. And we tried to do some reading but Peter and James disagree about the way stuff is written. James thinks it all means you have to be born one and Peter says you can learn."

"What did you think?"

"It depends on the day. I could see it interpreted both ways. Why can't they just write things clearly?"

"They do. Just not in the books you'll find in the open part of the library. It's carefully curated on a lot of subjects so you can learn without it putting ideas in your head about taking things on that you couldn't do. And that would cause serious harm if you did it wrong..." Snape shifted a bit, curling his legs next to him as he looked into the fire. "You're a good friend to Remus."

"Seems crap that he has to endure this every month because some werewolf bit him. He's paying a debt that isn't even his."

"What do you mean?" Snape looked over at Sirius curiously, then down at the ground. "Nevermind, that isn't my business and I know it isn't."

"I really.. shouldn't tell you. Not because I don't want to but because it's kind of Remus' to decide who knows and who doesn't. I shouldn't even had brought it up. Sorry..."

Snape couldn't help but smile a bit, looking back up at the other boy. "I'll say again, you're a good friend to him. For a lot of reasons."

They sat in silence for what stretched to a couple of minutes before Sirius sighed. "Good friend or not, I don't think I could be an Animagus. I couldn't even light this fire. I'm crap at magic."

"You're not. " Snape said quietly, furrowing his brow slightly. "I've seen you do some incredibly complicated magic."

"Nothing I should be doing, though." Sirius snorted, though something about hearing Snape say that warmed him. 

"That doesn't mean you're crap at magic though. It means that the organized way of learning in classes doesn't interest you. Which isn't uncommon... If I only did what was assigned in class and didn't learn further outside those lines I would think I was crap at magic too."

"I only... sort of understand what you mean.."

"I mean.." Snape turned to face Sirius properly, resting his hands in his lap as he looked directly at the other boy. "That you're good at what interests you. REALLY good. And you're not good at what doesn't interest you. It's not a measure of your actual ability to do poorly at assigned work. Magic takes energy and intent. The more strongly you feel about it the better you are. So if you don't really and truly give a toss about making a feather float, or turning a porcupine into a pincushion or lighting a fire, then you won't be able to do it. Not because you can't but because your mind isn't really engaged with it."

Sirius was quiet for a few moments, before he tilted his head a bit and grinned at the smaller boy. "So what you're saying is, I'm actually a genius."

"I don't know if I said that." Snape smiled as well, his eyes turning away from the rakish grin on Sirius' face, feeling slightly flustered. "But I have seen you do some impressive magic. And it's clear your heart would truly be in trying to become and Animagus."

Sirius' grin softened to a genuine smile as he looked at the smaller boy, really looked at him for probably the first time. Drawn into himself and unable to look him in the face for more than a few seconds. Trying to take up as little space as possible on the ground. Sitting close but not within arms reach. "Do you have friends you'd do something like that for?"

Snape shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "No. But to be completely honest Slytherin friendships tend to be shallow. Everyone looks out for their own interests when you get right to the heart of anything."

"You don't seem like that."

"I suppose I'm not." Snape said, raising one shoulder slightly. 

"That doesn't upset you? Or even surprise you that I don't think you're a particularly 'Slytherin' Slytherin?"

Snape shook his head a bit, looking over at Sirius for a moment, then back to the fire. "The hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw. But my family have all been Slytherins and it's what I thought I wanted more than anything so it sorted me to Slytherin."

"You'd be an amazing Ravenclaw." Sirius said immediately and with force behind it, nodding his head a bit. "Amazing. I see that more than Slytherin."

Snape smiled a bit, feeling both incredibly uncomfortable but incredibly pleased at what Sirius said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They sat quietly again, both absorbed in their own thoughts. After a long time Snape shifted to get to his feet. "I should go." He said simply, brushing off the back of his cloak.

"You have to?"

Snape paused, turning to look curiously at Sirius, surprised that the other boy would be disappointed by that, but a little leery of the warmth that bloomed in his chest at that knowledge. "Yes... But if you need any help with the Animagus thing.... I don't know much but I'd try and help."

Sirius nodded, smiling a bit. "Thanks. I might take you up on that."

Snape brushed his cloak once more, thaen picked up his bag to walk back towards the castle. As he slipped through the doors and headed down to the dungeons, he turned his head to inhale against his own shoulder. He smiled, closing his eyes as he smelled the woodsmoke from the fire, and hoped that it would linger on him for awhile.


	3. Sweater (Moonlight Chapter 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was just supposed to be a one shot for Fictober but Sirius and Severus had more to say to each other.
> 
> What would happen if Sirius and Severus ever met one on one? Would sparks fly? Maybe one kind would...
> 
> Chapter Summary- A chance meeting in the library. A book. A Chocolate Frog card. And a Cardigan that's too big for Snape.
> 
> \--Along with Inktober, it is Fictober! Following a prompt list from Tumblr I'm going to write short fics based around those prompts. A friend doing the same is titling each fic with the prompt so I'm totally copying that. ;)

"Merlin, you scared me."

Snape looked up over the book he was holding in front of him, unable to help smiling slightly when he saw Sirius. "How could I have scared you?"

"You're tucked way back here in the corner, totally silent. I didn't expect to see anyone." Sirius slid the book he was holding onto the table and sat down across from the smaller boy. "Although I suppose being loud in the library would get you kicked out."

"Generally speaking, that's the rule." Snape closed his book as Sirius sat down, looking around a bit. They were at his favourite table, way in the back corner of the library in the tallest, thickest crammed shelves of books. Aside from the table, two chairs and the bookshelves there was just one small lamp on the wall, nothing else. "Why were you way back here?"

"You said the library is curated so there's only so much we can learn about things. But I know back here is practically never touched. I was hoping to find something useful about the Animagus stuff." Sirius leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs. "No luck, though. At least not as far as I've seen. Which honestly isn't much, there's no order to things back here."

"Even the books back here likely won't help you. And Flourish and Blotts won't sell anything to you because they know you're a student." 

"Well you're a ray of sunshine." Sirius grumbled, but he smiled as he did. "So what am I supposed to do then?"

Snape pushed the book he had been reading across the table towards Sirius. "Nothing now. I found what you needed, I was just curious about reading it myself before I found a way to get it to you."

Sirius let his chair bang forward onto the floor as he reached for the book, turning it around so he could see the title. "_The Animal in You._ So this is... really?? How did you find it?"

Snape shook his head, smiling a little shyly and speaking to the table. "It's probably better you don't know. And you don't have to sign it out, it's not a library book."

"Did you buy it? I can pay you back for it.." Sirius was already digging in his pockets, but all he managed to deposit on the table was a few Fizzing Whizbee wrappers, a crumpled chocolate frog card and a gobstone that belched purtridly when it bounced on the wooden surface. "Well.. Not right now, but I can pay you back."

"I didn't buy it, I just managed to get it, you don't have to pay me back." Snape had reached forward reflexively, smoothing out the bent and mangled chocolate frog card with a smile. "But I appreciate the thought."

If you didn't buy it then how did you get it? Did you steal it?" Sirius got up, picking up his chair and moving around the table to sit down next to Snape so he could speak more quietly. "From Dumbledore's office or something?"

"You have a wild imagination... I didn't steal it and certainly not from Dumbledore's office. Do you think anyone could steal anything from there?"

"Probably not." Sirius settled in the chair side ways, one arm across the back so he could face Snape, tilting his head a bit. "So how did you get it?"

Snape sighed, raising his eyes to Sirius', realizing that he wouldn't get away with not saying anything about it. The other boy was determined to find out how. "I borrowed it from someone who doesn't want it back. And that,' Snape said, leaning his head forward slightly to cut Sirius off from whatever question he was going to ask next, 'is all I'm telling you about it. The actual details don't matter, it's better if you don't know. Accept that sometimes you have to deal with unanswered questions."

Sirius frowned, near on pouting at the last thing Snape said, his eyebrows drawing together but not in a menacing way. "You're purposely not telling me just to drive me nuts."

"No, I'm purposely not telling you because I like to have sources for things when I need them. Blabbing about it would put that in jeopardy."

The larger boy smiled then, tapping the backs of his fingers against the book cover. "THAT, I can understand. And thank you for the book. You think it will help?"

"If anything is going to help, that book will. It's straight forward and quite plainly written. Not a lot of potential to confuse you." Snape folded his arms, rubbing his hands against them in the chill of the dark corner. "So you're really going to do this?"

"Well I am. And James is." Sirius said with a nod, shifting the heavy book back and forth on the table with his fingers. "Peter is a little scared but I think he'll come around. It could be dead useful to be able to turn into an animal, I think."

"It does sound like it would be. And Remus would like the company..."

"Yeah, honestly I think he would. He's trying to make it sound like he doesn't care one way or another but I think he's more not getting his hopes up about it? Same with the Wolfsbane potion. He's happy that you made that vial for him but he doesn't want to think it's going to happen long term."

"It will happen." Snape said with a serious nod. "I'll make it for him for as long as we're in school together. But I can see why he wouldn't want to just assume. I'm not exactly in your friends circle as someone he could count on."

Snape looked away and Sirius looked down, frowning a bit at what the smaller boy had said. It was true, of course, although Sirius was slowly having to admit to himself that he wasn't sure why they weren't friends with him, except that Snape was in Slytherin. 

"Well anyhow.." Sirius said, clearing his throat and looking up again. "I believe you will and if we can work out this Animagus thing then I think his life might be a lot more fun in general. He at least won't dread the full moon. I hope."

Snape nodded, rubbing his hands a little harder against his arms, smiling a bit. "Do you know what animal you'll turn into?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

"I dunno." Sirius shook his head, smiling at the smaller boy. "I hadn't thought about it much to decide."

"Oh you can't pick." Snape said almost apologetically. "The animal WITHIN you is already set. Can you cast a Patronus charm?"

Sirius shook his head, looking a little perplexed at the question. Without thinking he was taking off the cardigan he had on, having registered that Snape was cold. "What's a Patronus?"

"A Patronus is a charm, it takes the form of an animal, everyone has a different one. You use it ward of Dementors."

"Not really much need for that, is there?" Sirius asked, smiling as he leaned forward, pulling his cardigan around Snape's slim shoulders, smoothing it down his front. "Not many run ins with Dementors around here. What does that have to do with being an Animagus, do I have to be able to make a Patronus?"

Snape was silent for a few seconds, not moving as he sat with the thick sweater around him that was still warm from Sirius' larger body. He looked up to the other boy's face with obvious question and uncertainty.

"You were cold." Sirius said with a shrug, answering the unvocalized question. "Tell me about the Patronus things?"

"Well.." Snape started, shifting a bit as he tried to reconcile the war within his own head about all of this. "Just the book says that some people know what Animagus they'll be dependant on their Patronus charm. It's often the same."

"Huh.. But I don't have to know how to make a Patronus to be an Animagus?"

Snape shook his head, smiling a bit. "No, it would just be a clue."

"What do you think I'd be?" Sirius arched one eyebrow, leaning towards Snape a bit, eager to hear what he thought. "If you had to guess."

"Hm.." Snape was quiet, thinking about McGonagall being a cat and whether or not it showed in her personality as a give away, or in her looks. She wasn't very cat like, all things considered, at least not to his knowledge. Maybe when she wasn't dealing with students she was, but there was no way for him to know that. He looked Sirius over slowly, taking in the long black hair, the wide dark eyes and the very masculine set of his body. "Maybe a horse."

"A _horse_!?" Sirius laughed, leaning back a bit, then forward again. "Why a horse?"

"I don't know!" Snape said, smiling and slightly embarrassed. "They're rather big and strong and determined but dependable once they trust you. I think that's you..."

"Hm.. I want to disagree but everything you just said is really flattering so now I don't know." Sirius smiled at the smaller boy, now contemplating him the same way Snape had done to him. Unable to help his smile turning a bit softer at the sight of him engulfed in the too big cardigan he'd wound around him. "I think you'd be a fox."

"A fox?" Snape said, shifting a bit in his chair, more than a little surprised. "Really?"

"Small, but extremely cunning and smart. Definitely a fox." Sirius nodded his head as though just by saying it he could make it true.

"I don't think I'd mind that." Snape smiled at Sirius, nodding back at him. "I like that choice."

Sirius smiled at Snape, then rapped his knuckles against the table a couple of times. "I need to get back. But thank you for the book, I mean really... It means so much."

"It's really no problem." Snape shifted, starting to pull the cardigan off his shoulders until Sirius stopped him. "You don't want it back?"

"Are you going right back to your common room?" Sirius asked, then smiled when Snape shook his head. "Then you still need it. I'll get it some other time." He reached out without thinking much about it, smoothing a hand over one of Snape's shoulders as he got to his feet.

"Okay... Thank you.." Snape said quietly, mostly to Sirius' retreating back as the larger boy made his way back out of the labyrinth of book shelves. He smiled a bit to himself, leaning back into his chair. And with only a moments hesitation he pulled him knees up to his chest, wrapping the cardigan around the whole of him as much as he could.


	4. Magic (Moonlight Chapter 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sirius and Snape meet again outside at night, this time it was planned, though. Sirius wants help with doing a Patronus charm, though neither of them expect what happens when Snape first demonstrates his own...
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> \--Along with Inktober, it is Fictober! Following a prompt list from Tumblr I'm going to write short fics based around those prompts. A friend doing the same is titling each fic with the prompt so I'm totally copying that. ;)
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"We have to stop meeting like this." Sirius said, and Snape smiled, having seen him coming this time so he wasn't surprised.

"You mean out of the castle at night? Because it seems the most opportune time, really." 

They were out at the edge of the forest again, but this time it was planned. Sirius had slipped a note to him at dinner on what looked like part of a torn textbook page (Snape really hoped it wasn't) asking if he could meet him here tonight. Snape was only too happy to agree and make his way out after everyone else in his dorm had gone to bed.

"I was hoping you'd still be here. Took me ages to get away, I never thought James would go to bed." Sirius said, flopping down onto the ground with a sigh. "Sometimes he just decides to make a contest of it and whichever one of us stays up latest wins."

"He's very competitive." Snape said without much inflection in his voice. He despised James, his bully and tormentor, and didn't particularly want to talk about him. "Why did you want to see me?"

"I wanted to ask you some stuff about the Animagus thing, just get your opinion." Sirius was all too happy for the change of subject, he kept realizing just a little too late that he shouldn't bring up James. "And ask you about the Patronus charm?"

"Why about the Patronus charm?" Snape asked, sitting down on the ground across from Sirius.

"I kinda want to know how to do it. I want to have that clue about what kind of Animagus I could be, we all do. Seems like maybe it would be a good idea to find that out first, like what if my Patronus is a seal? I wouldn't be much use or fun for Remus as a seal and it'd be a lot of wasted effort then."

"I hadn't thought about it that way.." Snape said, nodding as he thought about it. "That makes sense, actually."

"Can you do a Patronus charm?" Sirius asked, then smiled when Snape nodded. "I thought you could... Merlin you're smart."

Snape couldn't help but smile at the praise, passing a hand over his hair as he looked down. "I just have a lot of time to fill. I learn a lot on my own."

"You have to be smart to learn on your own. You don't have direction or anything."

"Says the person trying to figure out how to be an Animagus outside of school work."

"Yeah but.. I have you to help me, don't I?" Sirius smiled, tipping his head to the side a bit, reaching over to give Snape's shoulder a pat. "Doubt we could have even come this far without your help."

Snape was quiet for a few moments, looking at Sirius hesitantly before he spoke again. "No one else knows, right..? That I'm helping you, I mean."

Sirius shook his head, the pat on Snape's shoulder turning into a heavy press of his hand and a gentle squeeze of reassurance. "Just me. They all think I'm brilliant right now. Well except Remus, I think he guessed you were behind the Animagus book since I had to tell him who was going to make the Wolfsbane potion. But he's not.." Sirius trailed off, closing one eyes as he spoke.

"No he's fine." Snape said, having never had much issue with Remus as a person, just the company he kept. "And I don't mind if he knows I'm helping you with the Animagus thing. Just not.."

He took his turn to trail off without finishing, smiling when Sirius squeezed his shoulder again, making it clear he understood who Snape really didn't want to know.

"Okay." Snape said, then shifted to get to his feet. "Let's get to work on this. The first thing you have to do for a Patronus charm is think about the happiest moment of your life."

"The happiest moment of my life?" Sirius asked, raising both eyebrows. "Really?"

Snape nodded, pulling out his wand. "Since the Patronus is used to drive away Dementors, they're made up of the absolute purest happiness and joy you have. That's the only thing that works against them."

"Alright...". Sirius said the one word hesitantly as he took out his wand, clearly thinking very deeply. "Once you know that, then what?"

"The incantation is 'Expecto Patronum'. You think about your happiest memory, let it absolutely flood you, think nothing else but that, then use the incantation with your wand outstretched yowards your target. Or just away from your body if you're not fighting a Dementor."

Snape watched Sirius who seemed almost embarrassed to be doing this. He couldn't help but wonder what his happiest memory was since that in itself seemed to be causing the normally proud and confident boy some discomfort. 

"You won't have to tell me what your happiest memory is." Snape said when after a few minutes Sirius didn't seem any more relaxed or comfortable. "It's just for you to think about."

"Sorry, I'm taking too long, aren't I." Sirius said, rubbing his nose as he looked at Snape. "I'm actually just.. having trouble with the happiest memory part. Like thinking of one. I have lots of happy memories but they all seem tied to something not so happy as well. Does that matter?"

Snape shook his head, resisting the urge to ask Sirius why his happy memories were tied to unhappy ones, especially as he'd just assured him of privacy in this. "So long as you focus on the HAPPY part and not the unhappy part. It takes practice though, Sirius. I don't, and you shouldn't, expect yourself to do it on the first try."

"How many tries did it take you?" Sirius asked Snape curiously, stepping closer to him. "Can I see you do it? That might help."

"It took me a couple of weeks to get anything I would call good results, and another couple of weeks before I could cast it confidently and get it right every time." 

He moved back from Sirius a couple of paces, taking out his wand. He didn't need to focus hard or draw his memory forward for more than a moment before he moved his arm out. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

Silver shot from his wand like a bullet, swirling in a mist before it formed the shape of a fox that ran noiselessly across the ground, circling first around Snape, then around Sirius before leaping into the air, bounding and twirling in circles above and around them. Snape let it run and play for a minute or so before he gave his wand a slight shake and the mist swirled and the fox poofed away again.

Snape smiled, looking over at Sirius, feeling brighter and happier just by virtue of having the Patronus out for a bit. "You guessed right."

"That was..." Sirius was at a loss for words, something Snape didn't often see, but he enjoyed the look of surprise on his face. "That was amazing. Not what I was expecting. I mean, not just that yours really is a fox but what it looks like. And how it feels."

"Amazing, isn't it?" Snape asked, tucking his wand away again. "They're useful for a lot more than just Dementors as well. They make everything feel good, they can show you your true feelings. They can be used as messengers as well and...." He trailed off as Sirius moved closer to him, looking up at the larger boy curiously.

"You look different." Sirius said, still a handful of steps away from Snape, but closer than he was, looking at the smaller boy. "When you smile. Really smile. You look so much different."

Snape looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Patronus effects more than likely, I don't think I look different, maybe just your perception of me is different."

"So what I'm seeing isn't real?" Sirius asked, coming a couple steps closer again.

"No it's real. I mean... more like the Patronus erases any assumptions or preconceived notions or expectations of what you think of or see of me. So you see.. me."

Sirius understood then. His bias was erased, he wasn't seeing Snape as 'Snivellus' anymore. The way his eyes expected to see him no longer existed. He was seeing the other boy as Severus. He could see then that he has pale but not pasty. That his dark hair was extremely fine, but not really greasy. His incredibly dark eyes, and that while he did have a prominent nose it was well balanced in his face. That he was light in build but not angular. That he was...

"Shit..." Sirius said quietly, blinking a couple of times. "Do I look different to you?"

Snape nodded, the heavy gaze of Sirius' eyes feeling almost like a physical touch. "You do..."

They stood looking at each other from a few steps away for a long time. Both of them noticing things about each other they never had before, and likely never would have without the work of Patronus. It seemed natural for Sirius to step forward further and close the distance between them. Natural for him to reach out and lightly touch Snape's face.

It seemed equally natural for Snape to lean his cheek towards the touch as one of his own hands raised to ghost his fingers against Sirius' chest.

And it seemed practically pre-destined that Sirius should lean down, and Snape should raise himself up a bit to meet him in the middle, their lips pressing together lightly. So very lightly at first. A question more than a kiss. Then Sirius shifted, sliding his arms around the smaller boy, pulling him in as Snape's hands skidded up his chest and over his shoulders, leaning into the other boy as their lips pressed harder together, more firmly and with actual heat.

Snape made a soft noise as Sirius' lips parted, his own doing the same for their tongues to meet in gentle touches, then fuller slides that seemed electric. Heat slid through Snape's veins in a way he'd never felt before, never dreamed he would feel. One hand reached up further into Sirius' long hair, thick and silky between his fingers as he pressed into the larger boy's solid front.

Sirius was holding him so tightly, kissing him so deeply and so intensely that he could scarcely breathe. He wasn't even sure he wanted to. He kissed him back, hoping that it matched the way Sirius was kissing him, wanting to give him everything that was being given to him.

They eventually broke apart. Slowly, just their lips. Still close enough for them to catch at the edges, both of them still holding each other tightly.

"That was.." Sirius said, his voice slightly thick and hoarse.

"It.. was.." Snape said, completely at a loss of what to say. He swallowed heavily, starting to loosen his grip.

"Don't..". Sirius said, his arms squeezing around Snape tighter to stop him pulling away. "Please. Not yet.."

Snape smiled, something in him aching slightly at the pleading tone in Sirius' voice. He stopped moving, shifted instead to curl his arms back around the other boy's shoulders again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sirius smiled a bit. A quiet sort of smile, a more private one than the open flash of teeth he normally gave to everyone. He leaned his head in a bit against the side of Snape's head, keeping him pulled in tight against him. 

"It's really an amazing bit of magic.." Snape said quietly, pressed in against Sirius' chest. "The Patronus..."

"I think this is more than just magic." Sirius replied, smoothing a hand down Snape's back. "Much more than magic."


End file.
